Kiir and Machar to resume talks on Wednesday: official

September 10, 2019 (JUBA) – The second face-to-face meeting between South Sudan President Salva Kiir and rebel leader Riek will resume on Wednesday due to Kiir’s busy schedules, an official said.

“This is due to the fact that the President is engaged on other things that are also necessary for the country,” Ateny Wek Ateny, the spokesperson for the presidency told reporters in Juba on Tuesday.

He added, “The second phase of discussion on the implementation of the revitalized peace agreement on the resolution of the conflict in South Sudan, and that is the political process, will begin tomorrow.”

Both Kiir and his rival on Tuesday agreed to ensure the Revitalized Transitional Government of National Unity is formed by November.

The South Sudan rebel leader, in Juba on a short visit, was last in the country’s capital in October 2018 for celebrations to mark the signing of the revitalized peace deal.

The meeting between the two leaders, observers say, is a significant step towards the formation of the new transitional unity government.

On Monday, South Sudan’s cabinet affairs minister, Martin Elia Lomuro said the meeting between the two leaders was to assess the progress on implementation of the country’s security arrangements.

“We reviewed progress on cantonment sites, we reviewed progress on supplies to cantonment sites and the process of screening,” Lomuro told reporters in Juba.

“We have made miles of positive things that are meeting towards the creation of unified forces before November,” he added.

South Sudan descended into war in mid-December 2013 when Kiir accused his former deputy-turned rebel leader of plotting a coup.

In September 2018, the rival factions involved in the conflict signed a peace deal to end the conflict that has killed tens of thousands of people and displaced over 2 million people in the country.

(ST)